Cracking bituminous material



July ze, 1932. G EGLOFF 1,868,736

CRACKING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL Filed Dec. 50, 1925 Patented July 26, 1932 ED sTTEs PATENT OFFICE` Gr'USTAV EGIJOFF, 0F L CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA CRACKING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL Application led December 30, k1925. Serial No. 78,294.

5, distill such more or less solid bituminous materials such as coal, tars, shales and such natural asphaltic materials as for example gil'- sonite, Trinidad, grahamite and the like.

In the present invention, this destructive 1o distillation of such bituminous materials may be carried out by subjecting such ma-` terials to the action of heated petroleum oil.

This highlyeheated petroleum oil, serves in part to dissolve out of the bitumen, the hydrocarbonaceous material, also,` to vaporize such material and crack it.

In carrying out the invention, to accomplish the above mentioned objects, I first preferably pass petroleum oil through a heating furnace where it is subjected to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, and while the oil is in such condition,

deliver it to a suitable chamber containingv the solid or semi-solid bituminous material.

From this chambervboth the vapors from the petroleum oil and vapors from the bituminous material pass out where they are `subjected tosuitable condensing action.

rlChe invention will be more readily understood from the following description in Which the single figure in the accompanying drawing, shows a diagrammatic view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the present invention.

Referring to .the drawing, 1 designates the furnace in which is mounted a heating coil 2. The -oil is delivered to the heating coil through the feed line 3 provided with the pump 4 connected to any suitable source of charging stock, not shown. The petroleum oil passes from the heating coil 2 into one or the other of the expansion chambers v5 and 6. Expansion chamber 5 is connected by transfer line 7 having throttle valve 8 to the heating coil 2 While the chamber 6 is connected by transfer line 9-having throttle valve 10 to the delivery end of the coil 2 in the same manner. Y

I have shown in the presentir stance only two of these chambers 5 and 6, but any suitable number may be connected to the coil if desired, and they may be used alternately, or connected in multiple as for example in pairs, and run simultaneously.

These chambers may also be preferably insulated if desired, and may be externally heated. Each of the chambers 5 is provided with a residuum drawoff 10 having a throttle valve 11, and with suitable manholes 12 and 13. The vapors pass out of the upper portions of the chambers 5 and 6 through the lines 14 controlled by throttle valves 15 into the lower portion of the dephlegmator or reflux condenser 16. The reflux condensate is drawn off from the bottom of the dephleg- [Y mator through the pipe 17, and is preferably forced by pump 18 into the feed line 3. If desired, the reflux condensate may be diverted elsewhere through the line 19 by suitably controlling the valves '2O and 21. The vapors ypass out through the top of the dephlegmator 4feed line 3 through pipe 30 controlled by throttle valve 31, or to the lower portion of the expansion chambers through pipes 32 controlled bv suitable throttle valves 83, or if desired, the gas may be introduced simultaneously into both the chambers and the heating coil.

The object of introducing this incondensable gas is not only to facilitate vaporization, but also to cause more or less hydrogenation.

The process may be carried out as follows:

I may charge either one or both of the chambers 5 and 6 with bituminous material such as bituminous coal in a more or less divided condition so that it may be readily charged into the chambers 5 and 6. It may` shown, and then the petroleum oil oir-fuel oil fed through the heating coil 2 where it may be heated to a transfer temperature of 950 F. more or less, under a pressure of 500 pounds. This hot oil is then delivered to one or more of the expansion chambers where of course. more vaporization will take place.

The hot oil and hot vapors in the chambers 5 and 6 act on the coal to dissolveor distill out some lof the hydrocarbonaceous material, and

. also to crack some of it, depending upon the cracking conditions-of temperature and pressure in such chambers.

'In carrying out the process in the manner now being described, these chambers may be subjected to a v apor pressure of say 200 pounds or more, with a vapor temperature of say 850o F. in the vapor lines leading to the dephlegmator 16. The temperature of the dephlegmator may be controlled as desired, so as to condense the insufficiently cracked vapors, which may then be drawn 0H' and run again through the coil 2, or treated elsewhere, as desired. The dephlegmator, water/condenser and receiver may be under a pressure of pounds. It is understood the temperatures and pressure here given, are merely typical, and other temperatures and pres-l.

sures may be used, for example, certain of the bituminous materials will distill more readily than others with lower temperatures and lower pressures. The temDerature and .pressure however, should be such as to dis# till o a substantial portion of the hydrocarbonaceous material contained in the ycoal or other bitumen being treated. l

I claim as my invention:

e Tu the art of recovering values from hydro carbon sources, charging a chamber with hydrocarbon solids capable of destructive distillation, imparting cracking temperature to hydrocarbon liquid. and discharging the heated liquid into the chamber and thereby raising the solids to distillation temperature.

Leccese 

